Whittier Union High School District College Fair attracts hundreds

Nearly 1,000 students and their parents attended the Whittier Union High School District´s free College Fair Thursday, Oct. 3, 2014, at Pioneer High School. They garnered information about the application and financial aid processes. NFL veteran and Stanford University graduate Julian Jenkins spoke about student athletes. (Photo courtesy of WUHSD)

Nearly 1,000 students and their parents attended the Whittier Union High School District´s free College Fair Thursday, Oct. 3, 2014, at Pioneer High School. (Photo courtesy of WUHSD)

WHITTIER >> Nearly 1,000 students and their parents attended the Whittier Union High School District’s free College Fair Thursday night at Pioneer High School.

They took advantage of the opportunity to meet with 65 different college representatives and get firsthand information about the college application process and financial aid.

Student athletes and their parents also had the opportunity to hear from Julian Jenkins, a Stanford University graduate and NFL veteran with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos, who spoke about the college athletic recruiting process. Jenkins is a recruiting expert with NCSA, a Chicago-based firm that assists high school student athletes with their college recruiting efforts.

”I’m here to tell you that the college recruiting process started yesterday,” Jenkins told the standing room-only audience in the school library. “And there’s a myth that college recruiters come to you — today in the age of technology, you have to go to them by sending them your academic scores, stats and videos.”

Jenkins also stressed that playing collegiate sports means higher standards in the classroom.

“You will need to qualify academically and athletically,” he said. “Colleges are looking for student athletes who will graduate and provide them with a return on their investment.”

Marina Tomayo and her mother, Michelle Tomayo, listened carefully to Jenkins’ advice. Marina is a freshman at California High School and has been a devoted softball player since age 7.

She is striving for a softball scholarship to play at the collegiate level.

“I got a lot of information tonight, and it’s all really helpful,” Marina Tomayo said. “I’m going to keep my grades up and get involved with extracurricular activities so I can get into a good college.”